Garnering 62 percent of the vote, a levy request to fund the elementary school district in Whitefish passed easily this week, while levies in Kalispell and Kila were defeated.
Of the 1,466 people who voted on the Whitefish levy, 907 were for it, 545 were against it and 14 were counted as no votes. The $40,463 levy will fund drama programs, furniture and other materials. The money will help alleviate the $125,000 shortfall that the district is facing next year. Voter turnout was 15.7 percent in Whitefish.
Also on May 5, school ballots were tallied in Kalispell and voters narrowly shot down a $338,000 levy for the elementary school district, which is bracing for a $603,000 deficit in the 2010-2011 school year. The high school district faces a $216,000 deficit, but the District 5 school board opted to cut costs instead of proposing a levy for that budget.
Kalispell’s elementary levy was defeated with a vote of 1,737 to 1,511. However, voters overwhelmingly approved the purchase of property on Meridian Court to be used for an elementary school kitchen. That purchase has no effect on taxes, as the money had previously been set aside and simply needed voter approval for the project to move forward. Voter turnout was 18.6 percent.
In the Kila school district, a $150,000 building reserve levy was voted down by a 174-79 margin. That money – levied over a three-year period – would have gone toward new classrooms at Kila School.
Nine school districts also held school board elections on May 5. The trustee election results are as follows, with the candidate’s name and votes received:
Kalispell (one two-year elementary seat):
-Brad Eldredge – 1,372
-Heather Kobos – 1,069
Kalispell (one three-year high school seat for Kila-Somers-Lakeside district):
-Rob Keller – 373
-Jean Barragan – 319
Whitefish (two three-year seats):
-Charlie Abell – 1,021
-Ruth Harrison – 828
-Jack Silliker – 478
-Peter Elespuru – 286
Columbia Falls (two three-year seats):
-Larry Wilson – 809
-Barbara Riley – 730
-Melanie Nicholas White – 358
-Cassandra Schmidt – 269
-Brandee Padgham – 238
Bigfork (two three-year seats):
-Mike Roessmann – 284
-Thaddeus Jordt – 281
-Heather Postlewait – 232
Kila (two three-year seats)
-Tom Kopec – 105
-Judy Sommers – 104
-Angela Carlson – 56
-Lisa Hassett-Kaptanian – 53
-Kami McAllister – 49
-Angie Gustine-Giles – 47
Somers-Lakeside (two three-year seats):
-Tim Rogge – 230
-Courtney Shaeffer – 291
-Lori Morgan – 187
-Scott Harrison – 162
-Tim Murphy – 144
West Valley (two three-year seats):
-Stephanie Nadasi – 378
-Gary Krueger – 318
-Diane Etter – 288
Helena Flats (one-year seat):
-Kari Mackin – 72
-Judi Hewitt – 55